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Il
caso Mattei (The Mattei Affair), directed by Francesco Rosi, is a
brilliant political thriller based on actual people and events. The film
explores the ambitions, accomplishments, and mysterious death of Eni’s
founder, Enrico Mattei. The success of Eni, a state-owned oil company,
was considered a key reason for Italy’s postwar economic boom, but
Mattei’s expanding political power and unorthodox vision made him many
enemies. He was killed in 1962 when his private plane crashed outside
Milan. Inclement weather was the official explanation, but this ignored
the testimony of eyewitnesses who saw a mid-air explosion before the
plane fell to earth.

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival (sharing the
prize with Elio Petri’s La Classe Operaia Va In Paradiso), the film has
long been championed by Martin Scorsese and has recently been
re-discovered by a new generation, which sees Il caso Mattei as an
unflinching exposé of Italian politics, society and morality.

RESTORATION NOTESIl caso Mattei was restored at the Cineteca di
Bologna’s preservation facility, L’Immagine Ritrovata, using original
camera negatives and vintage prints. Mold growth was detected on the
original elements, which caused emulsion damage. The mold also damaged
the picture with visible yellow stains, which were difficult to
eliminate digitally, so the first-generation interpositive was used in
those areas.

The full 4K digital restoration included color grading, removal of dirt
and scratches, and image stabilization. 35mm as well as digital
versions of the restored film were created for screening and archival
purposes. L’Immagine Ritrovata, working in collaboration with The Film
Foundation, Paramount Pictures, and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino
completed the restoration in time to commemorate the 40th anniversary
of the film’s release.